The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB MIA88RA139 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Cessna 421A accident near Freeport, Bf, April 4, 1988

On April 4, 1988 at about 1:37 pm local time, a Cessna 421A, registered N42A, was involved in an accident near Freeport. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
April 4, 1988 · about 1:37 pm local time
Place
Freeport, Burkina Faso
Type
Accident
Injuries
5 people were killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Cessna 421A · all 421As on the register
Registration
N42A · registry record
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1
Passengers4

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.

Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.